"Conor couldn't beat Dustin when Conor was training his a** off" - Chael Sonnen explains why Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor 4 is 'a tough sell'
Chael Sonnen believes it is near impossible for Conor McGregor to convince people that he can beat Dustin Poirier in a potential quadrilogy fight. 'The American Gangster' pointed out that McGregor suffered back-to-back losses against 'The Diamond' earlier this year and is likely to suffer the same fate if they fight again.
According to Sonnen, there's no chance that the Irishman will return sharper than the last time he entered the octagon at UFC 264. McGregor has been out of training since July, recovering from a leg injury he suffered in his trilogy fight with Poirier.
The former middleweight and light heavyweight contender further added that while McGregor has been rehabilitating his broken leg, Poirier is training for a lightweight title fight against Charles Oliveira next month at UFC 269.
Sonnen said that if McGregor can't beat Poirier "after training his a** off" last time around, he is unlikely to fare any better in a potential fourth fight between the pair.
"Fighting Dustin Poirier again, man that's a tough sell. You want to bring the wife back into it, you want to bring the back stories, you want to bring the injury, you're going to move the needle for sure but you're going to have to work. Conor couldn't beat Dustin when Conor was training his a** off. Conor got re-motivated, reinvigorated, retrained and couldn't beat Dustin. We don't know what Conor was doing for preparation but we know he was doing it. Now we know he's not. That's what an injury represents. He can't do anything for a period of time... There is no opportunity that Conor got better. There's no opportunity to believe he's going to be sharper in this one than he was in the last one. Conor was doing rehab but Dustin Poirier was training for a world title fight. Just basic logic tells us Dustin is going to smoke him."
Check out the latest video on Chael Sonnen's YouTube channel below:
Chael Sonnen reveals what Conor McGregor can do to earn fourth fight against Dustin Poirier
Bring all what is coming, on!
Bring. It. On. https://t.co/IR54KFqSQv
Chael Sonnen thinks the smart thing for Conor McGregor to do upon returning is to face an opponent he can likely beat before moving on to tougher challenges. Sonnen believes it will be easier for McGregor to resume his feud with Poirier after picking up a win on his UFC return next year.
Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier 4. Coming some time in 2022 🇮🇪⚔️💎 https://t.co/oHSlHac4IT
He said the matchup with Poirier will also seem more logical if McGregor can prove that he's still an elite fighter by ending his current losing skid.